Saturday, April 15, 2006

Nails Not Necessary

Jesus affirmed...

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me just as the Father knows me and I know the Fatherand I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my lifeonly to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."John 10:11-18

But something greater held Jesus to the cross.Until he could not gasp for one more breath.And the struggle thankfully ended.He had done it.Become sin.Crushed under judgement.Price paid.Given all.Finished.Now dead.And rushed before sundown into a nearby tomb.

Jesus died for us. Jesus loves us. I want to be one of his sheep in his sheep fold. But I'm not and I don't exactly understand how to get there. But it is amazing that we have a shepherd who really loves us and wants to take care of us. It must have hurt Jesus when he died. I get you are supposed to hurt when you are punished but that would hurt having nails pounded into your hands and feet. Hurts just thinking about it.

He chose the nails. It is almost crippling to be the object of such complete love. He obeyed the Father out of love, a love that spills out on me today. I pray that my choices are as deliberate. Jesus, be glorified today in my choices as You were in the choice on a hill far away.

Teaching last night was hard. Some said that there is nothing for the soul after the body dies. Others laughed aloud at the idea that when all stand accountable before God, some will be separated unto eternal life and others to eternal death. It has been a year of teaching about Jesus' life. They have heard and they have seen; now may they come to believe. Faith seems outlandish to may of them, but for me it is sight. My Lord lay silent until he rose on the third day. My lord lives!

You have no idea what an encouragement you are to me. Thank you for being such a place for me to be fed. It is the perfect reminder to me in this moment in my journey that my passion and dreams in ministry when aligned with Christ's passion are really about suffering at the end of the day. I am willing to endure it to accomplish what He wants to accomplish in and through me. I sure hope to meet and talk with you someday Louie, you are an inspiration to me.

I'm SO glad that i live now 2,000 years after this happened because I know that we win! I couldn't imagine living and watching Jesus be beaten and murdered.

Thank you God for knowing when I am supposed to live. Thank you so much that I have no control over that. I don't want the control. I just mess things up when I take control! Please Jesus, make me whole again. Shed your light on the darkness. This life is yours, not mine. Please use me for YOUR glory!

"Jesus entered our world as the music man, but the world was disturbed by his song. On Good Friday the world went back to the peace that it needed. Jesus wanted to change the world into a great cathedral organ, and he dug music out of dry bread, herds of pigs, whores, and the dead. Nain, Jericho, Capernaum, and Bethany put 2 nails into his hands to silence his music." Brennan Manning

"May the song still be played loud so that we can all hear, play, sing along to, dance, rock, jump, mosh,...whatever. Just play the song." Corey Mann

I continue to me amazed at the gift God has given you-the gift to say things in a way that no one else can-wow! As I was reading your post and I got to the part where the nails were not all that was holding Jesus to the cross I was reminded of the fact that Jesus's love held Him there as well. So often we think that He was beaten and crucified because the soldiers had control over Him when in actuality He had the power to walk away at any moment. He had the power to not feel the pain. If I was in Jesus's shoes and someone was whipping me numerous times, spitting on me, and calling me names while I was trying to die and save them from their sins, I would say, "Forget it-you don't deserve this" and use my power to save myself. But He loved us so much that He willfully chose to not use His power to escape, but to endure the grusome death that He did. Oh praise the One who paid my debt!

it was so nice to meet you today, louie! thank you for your message as well...my mom has been going through a really difficult time with her granddaughter/my niece dying, and the part talking about joy coming in the morning really helped her. again, thank you so much for all you do!